Interview coming up... Any good questions to ask?

Have an interview coming up, I have a background in Accounting and I am hopeful to be a level III candidate when the results come down Tuesday morning. I have an interview on Monday for a Portfolio Mgt Analyst position. I don’t think my resume and background is exceptional, but my progress towards CFA helps a great deal.

In addition to the questions I already have (standard questions about firm/operations/teams/deliverables), can you guys recommend any great questions to ask? I like to have alot of questions prepped, as this interview is three stages (first meet w/ COO for 30 minutes, then with 2 senior analysts for 45 minutes, then finally with HR for 10 minutes).

Many thanks!!

Here is the job description:

POSITION:

Analyst, Portfolio Management Group

REPORTS TO:

Assigned Portfolio Managers

POSITION SUMMARY:

An Analyst position is a developmental role and will serve as the primary point of contact for assigned portfolio managers and will be responsible for the completion of investment and operational tasks delegated to him/her. The Analyst can expect to assume additional client management responsibilities as experience grows. The Analyst will have responsibility to manage and delegate specific work items to other Analysts and Administrative Associates in order to accomplish timely work products.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Perform asset allocation and related analyses of client and prospective client portfolios.

Prepare customized presentations, reports, and reviews for clients.

Act as liaison with operations and client service teams to execute wire transfers, trade tickets, sale of assets, account openings, and other miscellaneous client requests.

Investigate and resolve problems/issues for clients (reconciliation of statements, tracking transfers of funds, ensuring timely and correct delivery of statements, etc.).

Facilitate solutions for clients on firm non-core competencies (establishing lines of credit, executing self-directed trades, researching securities, providing advice on taxes and preferential domain, etc.).

Supervise the administrative functions including drafting correspondence to existing and potential clients and maintaining contact and other databases.

Possess maturity and professionalism to make and receive phone calls from sophisticated clients and be prepared to discuss investment programs intelligently.

Ensure timely delivery of sensitive materials to clients and team members.

Complete special projects for clients as needed (investigate strategies surrounding concentrated positions; perform cash flow analyses, risk analytics, Monte Carlo simulations, scenario analyses etc.).

Perform other needed functions as required.

COMPETENCIES:

Character Exhibits integrity, professionalism, practical judgement, positive attitude at all times; exhibits perseverance, mental toughness and initiative in the face of problems and challenges; must be able to take direction and accept constructive criticism.

Interpersonal Confidence Strong interpersonal skills; can effectively communicate and relate to all levels within and outside the organization; creates and builds positive and productive relationships.

Results Oriented Drives the team and the organization for results in order to improve performance; able to make timely or planned decisions appropriate to the circumstances or situation.

Managing Processes Ability to manage appropriate steps to get projects completed; has strong abilities to organize people and processes; can create a plan for resourceful workflow.

Team Work Must be able to work independently and be self-directed, yet work as a member of a team; willing to put firm’s objectives ahead of individual goals.

Communication Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills are necessary; excellent listening skills required.

Service skills Ability to understand and act upon the needs of the Investment Group clients and other stakeholders, and take all necessary action; be proactive and responsive to all service issues; follow through all problems/issues to completion.

Organizational Ability Can manage people and resources to prioritize and get projects completed; has a strong ability to multi-task and keep order.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

  • Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business or finance major.
  • 1 to 3 years experience, preferably in a brokerage, trust bank, or investment advisory environment.
  • Familiarity with Bloomberg and/or FactSet a plus.
  • Strong Excel and other MS Office application skills.
  • Experience with InvestEdge a plus.

When can i start?

My view in general is that at the interview stage, you and other candidates have at least some of the technical skills that they are looking for in the role (ie. letters, financial acumen, computer skills ). So, I ask questions to find out what the company culture is like / how they deal with people and whether I would fit in (remember that you are interviewing them as much they are interviewing you if you are currently employed. If you are unemployed… beggars can be choosers. haha

So… for example…

  • what keeps you at XYZ firm and what do you find more rewarding / challenging about the job?

  • how they would react to a co-worker not being able to meet a deadline due to unforeseen circumstances (ie. family emergency).

  • experience / approach dealing with any difficult clients as a PM

  • how the position became open (incumbent or a new position) and future growth opportunities within the company. If there was an incumbent, did s/he progress within the firm?

  • typical hours / work life balance. I also like to ask them about their hobbies outside of work since most interviewers have asked me about my hobbies.

I think the above questions are pretty good, and they avoid asking specifically “what is the culture of the firm”, which sounds cliche, but somehow, you still need to ask. If it were me, I would specifically ask “what is the time horizon for the person in this job”, or something like that. Because no matter what their answer is, it leads to next questions.

It’s Monday, so probably you already had the interview. Good luck anyway.

Wondering how this interview went?